Get more for your trade-in

Edmunds' Expert Review

vehicle overview

Ford does nothing dramatic with the Taurus this year, shuffling a few packages and adding some colors. We were amazed to see the high-performance SHO model hang on for another year, but we would be surprised to see it squeak by into the new millennium.

In the last couple of years, we have been able to spend some extended driving time with the Taurus and have found ourselves won over by this odd-looking family sedan and wagon. If you can get past the strange curves and odd snout, the Taurus offers a lot of car for the money. The Taurus has comfortable seats, a long standard equipment list, a plethora of cupholders and ashtrays, nicely integrated armrests, and optional rear-passenger air conditioning controls. Unfortunately, the Taurus's Integrated Control Panel, which controls the stereo and climate controls, has not proved to be as user-friendly as we had initially thought. During recent tests, we've had complaints from drivers who found it to be too busy and overly complicated. One of our logbook gripes stated that the unit looked sneezed onto the dashboard.

Not many people buy mid-sized sedans for their outstanding handling characteristics, and for the most part the Taurus does not address these people's concerns. Nonetheless, the Taurus is not a bad driver, offering capable acceleration and decent handling. The standard engine on the Taurus is the Vulcan V6, an old-school overhead valve design that puts out a mere 145 horsepower and 175 foot-pounds of torque. The next step up is the Duratec V6, a 3.0-liter overhead cam engine that makes 185 horsepower and 200 foot-pounds of torque. Acceleration is noticeably improved with the Duratec engine, and its midrange performance far surpasses the Vulcan motor. The fastest Taurus, the redesigned SHO, is a bit of a disappointment. Sure it has a V8, the first one ever squeezed into a Taurus, but its lack of a manual transmission and slower acceleration times than the original are a poor substitute for the car that basically defined the American sports sedan segment in its original iteration.

The Taurus offers buyers plenty of car and is our choice over the less-than-sophisticated Chevrolet Lumina or plain-Jane Buick Century. However, a number of choices from Europe, Japan and the United States offer better looks, better handling, and better reliability than the Taurus. People that want to buy American may want to put this car on their list. People who are turned-off by its exterior styling may find comfort in the new Honda Accord or recently redesigned Toyota Camry being sold down the road.

1999 Highlights

The light group and speed control are now optional on LX level cars. Chrome wheels on the SE models have been replaced with five-spoke aluminum wheels.

Consumer reviews

Read what other owners think about the 1999 Ford Taurus.

Most helpful consumer reviews

$800...

aicfriedel,10/16/2013

I bought my Taurus for $100 with 185000. It needed new struts, y-pipe, and a muffler. I replaced the spark plugs, wires, and air filter it didn't need it i just decided to do it. In the end i payed $800 dollars for it and have been diving it for 2.5 years. A common flaw with these cars is the rocker panels rot but it has 203000 miles now and its been driven through New Hampshire winters for 14 years so rot is expected especially with these cars. The engine is noisy but the drivers seat is super comfy. The trunk and back seat has a lot of room. The interior is OK. The plastic on the dash is separating and its kind of cheap but for 800 bucks ill get over it. Love my Taurus.

Accelerator linkage keeps breaking, bad design

rwwr,02/11/2012

I bought this 1999 Taurus sedan about 5 years/42k miles ago.
It has been OK, not particularly good or bad, except when it left me stranded at 1:30AM on a remote highway.
I had had the accelerator cable replaced TWICE due to a broken plastic fitting which attaches it to the arm of the accelerator pedal.
Luckily I had a knife and a piece of plastic in the trunk of the car, and in fifteen minutes I designed and carved a replacement fitting.
The hardest part of this fix was lying with the door sill in my back trying to install this in the dark, by feel.
It's a shame the design and test engineers couldn't have done their jobs in the first place.
This part broke three times; why no recall?

1999 ford taurus SE v6

fordtaurus98,09/28/2012

I had a person that had one of these and he was selling it to me.
He let me test it out for a few weeks before buying it for 300 dollars.
it had 124000 Miles on it.
The car was amazing to say the least.
The tires were aweful but it still drove down the road perfectly.
The engine and transmission were 100% smooth running and it was FAST (IMO).
So a week after I had it to test it, I decided to look underneath the car.
I had a 7 inch wide OPEN hole in my drivers side floor pan.
Both rocker panels were non existent.
AND, the sub frame had 4 holes in it.
I decided to give it back to the person.

Ford Taurus

B,08/10/2010

I bought my Taurus off my uncle and I runs fantastic! I've had it for about 3 years now and other than the air conditioner, I've never even had a problem with it! It runs great! I think it's a very dependable car and is a fantastic family car!

Used 1999 Ford Taurus Sedan Overview

The Used 1999 Ford Taurus Sedan is offered in the following styles: SE 4dr Sedan, LX 4dr Sedan, and SHO 4dr Sedan.

What's a good price on a Used 1999 Ford Taurus Sedan?

Shop with Edmunds for perks and special offers on used cars, trucks, and SUVs near Ashburn, VA. Doing so could save you hundreds or thousands of dollars. Edmunds also provides consumer-driven dealership sales and service reviews to help you make informed decisions about what cars to buy and where to buy them.

Which used 1999 Ford Taurus Sedans are available in my area?

Used 1999 Ford Taurus Sedan Listings and Inventory

Simply research the type of used car you're interested in and then select a
prew-owned vehicle from our massive database to find cheap used cars for sale near you.
Once you have identified a used or CPO vehicle you're interested in, check the Carfax and
Autocheck vehicle history reports, read dealer reviews, and find out what other owners paid for the
Used 1999 Ford Taurus Sedan.

Shop Edmunds' car, SUV, and truck listings of over 6 million vehicles to find a cheap
used, or certified pre-owned (CPO) 1999 Ford Taurus Sedan for sale near
you.

Should I lease or buy a 1999 Ford Taurus?

Is it better to lease or buy a car? Ask most people and they'll probably tell you
that car buying is the way to go. And from a financial perspective, it's true, provided you're willing to make
higher monthly payments, pay off the loan in full and keep the car for a few years. Leasing, on the other hand,
can be a less expensive option on a month-to-month basis. It's also good if you're someone who likes to drive a
new car every three years or so.